By John Annese
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — A Rikers Island Correction captain has been arrested for forcing her subordinates to pay her, buy her gifts and drive her to restaurants and a casino while on duty, according to federal prosecutors.
Latanya Brown, 51 — who was known as the “Terror of the Tombs” back when she worked at the Manhattan Detention Complex — sunk to criminal lows when she was transferred to Rikers Island in early 2024, according to a federal extortion and wage theft indictment unsealed in Brooklyn Thursday.
Brown was assigned to the jail complex’s Facility Operations Department as a supervisor from July 2024 to November 2025. According to the indictment, she acted as a tyrant — threatening to mess with two of her subordinates’ shifts and vacation requests, and deny overtime if she didn’t get what she wanted.
What she wanted, the feds allege, was money, luxury goods and personal chauffeurs.
She demanded cash, paid over the Zelle app, a Louis Vuitton bag, and rides to restaurants, bars, personal appointments and a casino, the feds allege. And the two Department of Correction officers under her command complied, fearing what she would do if they said no, according to the indictment.
Brown also raked in the overtime — making more than $231,000 on top of her $125,855 salary in 2024, and more than $178,000 over her $130,260 salary last year, according to the feds.
But more than 100 times, she falsely claimed she worked her full shift even though she left early, sometimes ditching work to spend time at the Empire City Casino in Yonkers, the feds say.
“As alleged, the defendant brazenly abused her authority as a law enforcement supervisor to steal taxpayer money and terrorize her subordinates by shaking them down for money, expensive gifts, and chauffeuring her to run personal errands, including trips to a casino while she was on duty,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said.
She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment in Brooklyn Federal Court Thursday, and was released on a $300,000 bond co-signed by her 25-year-old son.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wang said, at one point, the captain told her victims she was “untouchable” because of her family and political connections.
Brown had booked a cruise to the Bahamas scheduled to leave Friday, but at the prosecution’s request, Magistrate Judge Seth Eichenholtz denied her request to board, saying that international travel was a risk, and “not one I’m willing to take.”
Brown ducked reporters as she left the courthouse Thursday. One of her supporters tried to block a reporter from taking photographs, grabbing at the reporter’s phone as he snarled, “Stop recording, man!”
Brown made headlines back in 2018, when the Daily News obtained audio recordings of her cursing out the Correction officers under her command at the Manhattan Detention Complex.
Two Correction officers sued the city a year later, alleging Brown created a hostile work environment by screaming, cursing and harassing them, telling one officer she should “commit suicide” and encouraging a prisoner to threaten the other officer.
In one of the threats, Brown told one officer, who is female, she would the vile verbal threats outlined in court papers, Brown allegedly told Warren-James, a female officer, that she was going to put her “d— in your big, fat, nice a–,” according to court filings.
The city settled that lawsuit in 2022.
Department of Correction officials said she’s been suspended for 30 days after her arrest, and will be placed on modified duty pending the outcome of her case.
“The allegations announced today are deeply disturbing and run counter to everything this Department stands for,” DOC spokeswoman Anais Morales said. “The vast majority of our staff serve with professionalism and integrity every day, and they deserve to work alongside people who uphold those same standards. Any employee who abuses their position for personal gain undermines public trust, the safety of our facilities, and the important work being done across this Department.”
Morales did not respond to a question about whether Brown faced any disciplinary action in the wake of the 2019 lawsuit.
Brown, who lives in Yonkers, could face 20 years behind bars if convicted at trial.
Her attorney, Antonio Ebanks, said he’s known her for decades, and that the charges seem “out of character.”
“I know her to be a hardworking woman,” he said, adding he doesn’t think the earlier accusations in the lawsuit have any bearing on the current case.
“I can tell you it’s a very difficult job, and I can see how the stress of that environment causes anyone to operate in a battlefield environment,” he said. “There’s no f—ing around in Rikers Island, let me put it to you like that. I will really wait to see the what evidence looks like before I can comment on it.”
Paul Idlett, the head of the Correction Captains’ Association, said the union is supporting her. “I want to express my commitment to her due process and the presumption of her innocence,” he said. “It’s an indictment, it’s not a conviction, and she’s going to be entitled to a fair legal defense.
“This situation brings a lot of emotions within the department,” he added, “and we can’t, we have to refrain from jumping to conclusions until all the facts are established.”
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